Rutland, VT 05751 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Rutland, VT?
Typically, the last spring freeze lands around 05/15, roughly 260 days out. The first fall frost typically arrives around 09/27, about 132 frost-free days later.
Zone 5a (-20 to -15°F average annual minimum) comes from the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map; the frost dates above are the 1991-2020 normal at the nearest reporting NOAA station for Rutland, not a forecast for this year.
What to do before the first frost
About 4 weeks of growing season left in Rutland before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
Why 05/15 isn't a guarantee
05/15 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 05/01 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 05/31 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Rutland compares
Rutland's growing season runs about 132 days, ranking 38,171 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within VT, it ranks 268 of 330.
Learn more
zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 5a and Rutland's frost date answer different questions. the frost range covers how to read the range around Rutland's dates instead of trusting one.